Abiding in Christ

The Apostle John, so in love with our Lord Jesus, experienced abiding with Christ in person and passed this experience along to us in His letters. He spent hours of unbroken fellowship with the Lord. He considered himself one of Jesus' best friends, beloved by Him.

We too can enjoy this same intimate relationship with Jesus, because He lives IN us by His Spirit. To abide in Christ literally means to dwell in Him, not to wander off, and to stand as if rooted to the spot.

Jesus said He was equal with God (John 10:38). The Pharisees were offended by this declaration, because they did not understand that they too could enjoy unbroken fellowship with God through Christ and His Spirit.

God dwelt in Jesus in the same way that He dwells in us (John 14:11). His character and nature are evident in our life as we mature spiritually and continually die to our old carnal nature (John 14:10).

Although Jesus literally and physically returned to His home in Heaven, He did not abandon us alone on this earth. He gave us His Spirit as our comforter and guide.

Jesus will return for us in time for our wedding feast as His Bride (John 14:18-20); but until then, His Holy Spirit sanctifies us more each day as we believe in Christ and remain in this vital union with Jesus and our Father.

We live and function in the same manner that Jesus walked with our Father during His lifetime (1 John 2:6-27, 3:6). If we desire to live in His will, He provides us with what we need each moment of the day.

We can do greater works simply because we, as His Body, are greater in number and He abides within all of us. All He needs is our availability and obedience to His Spirit on a continual basis as we walk in His will (John 14:3-15).

We eat His flesh and drink His blood, ingesting Him into our spirit, soul and body and drawing our nourishment from Him (John 6:56). We are united with Him and He is our whole life (Colossians 3:4).

Prayer:

Father God, You cleanse us with the blood of Jesus, our perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29). Thank You for choosing to give us His righteousness in place of our old, carnal nature and making us a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We covet our time with You as You provide us with holy fellowship with You throughout the day.

Help us to continue in Your Word, for Your Word is life to our spirit and soul (John 8:31; 1 John 2:19-24). Remind us to keep Your commandments for they lead us on the path of holiness and help us to avoid the destruction reaped from a life of sin and degradation (John 15:9-10).

Thought for the Day:

Christ's life flows through us, just as the nutrients of the Vine empower the branches to bear fruit; but if we break fellowship with Him and grieve His Spirit through sin, pride or rebellion, we lose this perfect union until we repent. 

- John 15:4; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19

The Value of God's Blessing

“God bless you” is a common response to people who sneeze. The reason behind this custom is that people used to die during the bubonic plague, and continual sneezing was a symptom of this illness. Now the words are used carelessly and often shortened to “Bless you”, leaving God out of the equation all together. However, God’s blessing is very powerful and coveted by people who know its value.

Jacob knew the value of God’s blessing. In fact, he bargained with his brother Esau to give to him, the younger brother, the blessing, which rightfully belonged to the older brother. If Esau valued his blessing, he would not have traded it for a bowl of hearty soup; but the carnal Esau was famished after a day of hunting, and his stomach ruled his head. He never regretted this decision either. In fact, God knew this would happen before it ever occurred (Genesis 25:19-34).

In today’s society, we continually compromise the values, which lead to God’s blessings. Adultery in marriage, sexual indulgence with the same gender, rebellion against parents and authority, witchcraft, God-haters, rejecting God’s truth to trust in Satan’s lies, and worshipping the created rather than the Creator are just a few of our transgressions. We also teach others to do these very same things (Romans 1). We fail to acknowledge God. We are too busy futilely planning our own life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God promises blessings to His Saints, including those of peace, direction and abundance (Philippians 4:7; James 1:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8-10). We are His people, and He is our God (Ezekiel 36:28-38). As His Saints, we never worry about amassing the vanities of life, or even the essential things we need (Proverbs 30:8). God is always faithful. In our finite, human imagination we cannot even conceive of the wondrous bounty that God has planned for His people both now and in eternity (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Prayer:

Father God, the true essence of prayer is a direct line of communication with You. You are the source of all life and we truly value Your blessings in our life. The sinful lifestyle we give up in order to live in Your presence is nothing compared to the riches You have for us both now and in eternity (Acts 17:11; Romans 8:18-19). We stand firmly in the freedom of Your presence (Galatians 5:1). As we wait on You, we receive our strength for each new day (Isaiah 40:31).

Thought for the Day:

With God’s blessings in our life, we never have to give another thought to what we should eat or wear, because of what He has in store for us. - Luke 12:22-31